Standards & Tools
Content Standards
Content standards are the guidelines which prescribe what type of information is recorded in the description (title, credits, notes, etc.) and how it is formatted (for example, initial articles should be dropped from titles, or names should be formatted as Lastname, Firstname)." By using the standards outlined below, description can be organized in a way that permits improved intellectual and physical access to the contents of any object. Standards also permit sharing of information with other institutions as well as within an organization.
AACR2. Anglo-American Cataloging Rules, 2nd ed., 2002 revision. Chicago: American Library Association, the Library Association (U.K.), and the Canadian Library Association.
A detailed set of standardized rules for cataloging various types of library materials, for general libraries of all sizes. Divided into two parts: rules for creating the bibliographic description, and rules governing the choice and form of entry of headings (access points) in the catalog. See also LCRIs.
AMIM. Archival Moving Image Materials: a Cataloging Manual. 2000. 2nd ed. . Washington, D.C.: Cataloging Distribution Service, Library of Congress.
Also known as AMIM2. Prepared by a committee of Library of Congress Motion Picture, Broadcasting, and Recorded Sound Division cataloging staff, the manual provides detailed rules for descriptive cataloging of film and video within the framework of Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, 2nd ed., chapter 7. Includes a glossary and guidelines for assigning access points and for collection-level cataloging. Manual is thoroughly revised and expanded from the first edition, which was compiled by Wendy White-Hensen and published in 1984. Maintained by the Library of Congress, updates are found in: Cataloging Service Bulletin, Spring 2001; 92:21-25, and are also available on the Web at: 
http://www.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/amimupd.html
APPM. Archives, Personal Papers, and Manuscripts : a Cataloging Manual for Archival Repositories, Historical Societies, and Manuscript Libraries. 1989. 2nd ed. Chicago: Society of American Archivists.
Rules for describing primarily textual archival collections, although it includes rules for moving images. Intended to provide guidance within the general framework of the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, 2nd ed. (AACR2).
DACS. Describing Archives: A Content Standard. 2004. Chicago, Ill.: Society of American Archivists.
A product of the CUSTARD project (Canadian-U.S. Task Force on Archival Description), and funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, designed to facilitate consistent, appropriate, and self-explanatory description of archival materials and creators of archival materials. It can be applied to all types of material at all levels of description. Examples of the application of the rules are provided for two widely used structure standards, MARC 21 and Encoded Archival Description (EAD). The volume consists of three parts: "Describing Archival Materials," "Describing Creators," and "Forms of Names." Separate sections discuss levels of description and the importance of access points to the retrieval of descriptions. Appendices include a glossary, list of companion standards, and crosswalks to APPM, ISAD(G), ISAAR(CPF), MARC 21, and EAD.
The FIAF Cataloging Rules for Film Archives.
Rules for describing archival moving image materials, developed for an international audience by FIAF (Fédération Internationale des Archives du Film, or International Federation of Film Archives).
LCRIs. Library of Congress Rule Interpretations (2002 Cumulation: 1989 base text with all updates through 2002 interfiled. Washington, D.C. : Library of Congress. (Quarterly updates available.)
Records Library of Congress decisions on application and adoption of particular AACR2 rules, to ensure uniform cataloging for the purposes of record sharing. The LCRIs encompass both interpretations of rules and other types of statements, e.g., decisions on options and alternative rules; or documentation of routines related to the rules. Drafted by the Library's Office for Descriptive Cataloging Policy in consultation with cataloging experts in the field.
RAD. Rules for Archival Description. 2003. Ottawa: Bureau of Canadian Archivists'.
Rules for describing archival collections in all formats, including moving images, maps, photographs, electronic records, sound recordings, and textual materials. Based on the premise that description should occur on multiple levels (fonds, series, file, and item). Maintained by the Canadian Committee on Archival Description.
RAK. für die alphabetische Katalogisierung. 2002. Die Deutsche Bibliothek.
Rules for describing materials in all formats. The German cataloging code, analogous to the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, 2nd edition (AACR2).
RICA. Regole Italiane di Catalogazione per Autori. Commissione permanente per l'aggiornamento della RICA.
Rules for describing materials in all formats. The Italian cataloging code, analogous to the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, 2nd edition (AACR2).